© 2024 254 North Front Street, Suite 300, Wilmington, NC 28401 | 910.343.1640
News Classical 91.3 Wilmington 92.7 Wilmington 96.7 Southport
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
CAPE FEAR MEMORIAL BRIDGE CLOSURE: UPDATES, RESOURCES, AND CONTEXT

NC Unemployment Rate Dips Slightly in January

The latest unemployment rates for North Carolina have been released by the Department of Commerce, giving a different look to the state’s economy. 

WHQR’s Jessica Ferrer reports that the unemployment rate for January was 10.2 percent, much higher than the national average of 8.3 percent.  

Despite the state’s rate of unemployment being more than 10 percent, this is a slight improvement when compared to December’s rate of 10.4 percent. Previously, the Commerce Department said the unemployment rates for last year were around 9 percent, but these figures have been re-calculated. The numbers are annually revised by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to include things like population controls, seasonal factors, and unemployment insurance claims. This is the first time the new population controls take into account results from the 2010 census. Even though the new numbers are high, North Carolina added 17,000 nonfarm jobs in January. Unemployment figures for individual counties will be released later this month.  

Jessica is a junior at UNCW pursuing a B.A. in communication studies with a minor in journalism. She worked on an audio project similar to NPR's StoryCorps over the summer where she interviewed mentors and their mentees on the UNCW campus. This project inspired her to work more with public radio and the media. She is also a contributing writer for the school's newspaper, The Seahawk. Jessica loves her job as a resident assistant, trying out new restaurants, working out so she can keep eating at new restaurants, and bringing news to the community.